Floor type conveyer chain



Aug- 3, 1954 H. GARMAN ETAL 2,685,361

FLOOR TYPE CONVEYER CHAIN' Filed Feb. 10, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 'l'lill/114"d l JNVENToRs Leo H. Barman BY @Trui N. Copp A fr0/Mfr ug- 3,1954 H. GARMAN ETAL 2,685,361

FLOOR TYPE CONVEYER CHAIN Filed Feb, 10, 1948 2 sheets-sheet 2 I'le/Patented Aug. 3, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE FLOOR TYPE CONVEYERCHAIN Application February 10, 1948, Serial No. 7,316

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a floor type conveyor chain and has for itsprincipal object to provide a chain construction wherein tension linksare integrally formed both to ride along the upper surface of the chaintrack and to completely cover the opening in such chain track.

Foor conveyor chain drives have been employed in the past wherein atrack is formed by a pair of spaced angle or channel members embedded inthe floor, a power driven chain being adapted to run within the openingformed by the track members. Conventionally, slide plates are attachedto the chain at intervals and are adapted to ride along the uppersurface of the track thereby serving to support the chain. With thistype of construction the track and chain are open to the accumulation ofdirt causing rapid wear and increasing the frictional resistance of thechain to its movement in the track. Such open track also forms aconvenient trap for small objects which may become wedged between thechain and the track or carried by the chain to the driving sprocketwhere they may jam the action frequently causing a breakdown stoppage ofthe conveyor line.

Furthermore, the conventional rider plates together with theirattachment bolts constitute an irregular projection above the iioorlevel forming a hazard to workmen around the track as well as to thosestepping across the same.

The present invention contemplates the use of a roller type chainwherein spaced pairs of alternate inner and outer tension links arepivotally connected by pins which also serve as journals forintermediate rollers. The chain is adapted to travel with the axis ofthe pins in a vertical position, the rollers being dimensioned toContact either side of the chain track in order to reduce friction intraveling around curves in the track. Special links are employed for thetop portion of the chain which are wide enough to project over thevertical opening and to ride along the top surface of the respectivetrack members. The alternate inner and outer top links are also formedto provide a continuous coverage of opening in the track to seal thesame against the introduction of dirt or foreign objects.

As already mentioned, this continuous coverage of the track opening andsuspension of the chain by tension links thereof forms the principalobjects of the present invention.

Another object is to make the upper surface of the chain form acontinuous flat plane free of projections other than those required fordriving connections with the iioor trucks or other loads.

(C1. ISS- 181) A further object is to employ alternate inner and outerlinks for the upper links which are constructed in a manner such thatthe inner links will have a raised portion iiush with the upper surfaceoi the outer links.

Another object is to provide mating arcuate surfaces between the ends ofthe outer links and the flush portion of the inner links whereby freedomof pivotal movement and the continuous fiat upper surface of the chainmay be preserved through the curved as well as straight portions of thetrack.

A further object is to provide an outer link construction for the upperlinks which incorporates depressions for accommodating headed pivot pinsin a manner such that the head of the pivot pin will not project abovethe upper surface of the chain.

These and other objects will appear more clearly `from the followingmore detailed description and from an examination of the drawingsforming a part hereof wherein,

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a straight portion oi the chain showing thetrack in phantom.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken along the line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a portion of the chain as it appears on acurved section of the track.

Referring to Fig. 3, it may be seen that a conveyor chain track isformed by a pair of channel members it, H embedded in the iioor l2providing an open I3 for accommodating a conveyor drive chain. The chainis of the roller type wherein pairs of alternate inner and outer linksare connected by pivot pins which serve also to journal intermediaterollers. In the present case the lower outerl links I4 and inner linksl5 are of the conventional type and are substantially narrower than thediameter of the rollers I6 so as to provide ample clearance for therollers to maintain contact with either of the vertical walls of thetrack members l0, Il, while the chain is rounding a curve as shown inFig. 7. The rollers I6 are journaled on a sleeve Il through the centerof which pivot'pins I8, I9 extend. The construction of the chain thusfar described follows conventional practice, and it is in theconstruction ofv the upper links of the chain that the principal novelfeatures of the present invention reside. As best seen in Figure 2, theupper outer link 29 is constructed as a forging wherein downwardlydepending bosses 2i are provided at the pivot points joined bystrengthening Webs 2l on either side of such bosses. Countersunk pinholes 22 are provided to accommodate the headed pivot pin i8 which is sodimensioned that the top surface 23 of the pin lies in the same plane asthe upper surface 24 of the outer link 2B.

As best seen in Fig. 3, the outer link 26 has a substantially greaterwidth than the opening in the track so that the edges 25 of such linkproject over the upper surfaces 26 in the track members in a mannerpermitting the link to slide along such surfaces dependingly supportingthe remainder of the chain Within the opening i3. Referring to Fig. l,it will be seen that the ends of the outer links 2S are formed witharcuate curves 21 having centers at the adjacent pivot points 28.

The inner link 29 is likewise constructed as a forging with an upwardlyextending center section 30. While the width of the inner link Z3 isgenerally equal to that of the lower links i4, i5, laterally projectingears 3! are provided at the top central portion of the link which extendout to a width equal to that or the outer links 2o. Concave surfaces 32are provided in such upper portion matching the convex ends 2'! of theouter links 20. The intermediate central portion of the inner link 29 isprovided with a horizontal surface 33 underlying the extreme ends 34 ofthe outer links 20.

Pivot pins i9 with upwardly projecting driving lugs 35 are provided atspaced intervals as required for load engagement, and such lugsconstitute the only projection above the upper surn face of the chainlinks 20, 29.

With this construction a continuous cover for the opening i3 is providedby the upper tension links of the chain over both straight and curvedportions of the track guarding the same against introduction of dirt orforeign objects which otherwise might impair its operation; such linksalso serve in lieu of separate slide plates to slidingly support thechain along the track; and the upper surfaces of the upper links andheaded pivot pins provide a Icontinuous level surface free fromhazardous projections.

W'hile a particular embodiment of the present invention has beendescribed above in detail, it will be understood that numerousmedincations are possible without departing from the scope of ourinvention as defined in the following claims.

We claim:

l. In combination with a submerged floor chain track having opposedwalls defining an opening for accommodating a conveyor chain andhorizontal surfaces on either side of said opening, a conveyor chain ofthe type having rotatable rollers journaled on pivot pins betweentension links which are pivotally connected to said pins, said chainhaving lower links of a width less than said track opening being adaptedto travel within said track opening with the roller axes positionedvertically between said walls, and each of the upper tension links ofsaid chain having a width greater than said track opening tosubstantially continuously cover' said opening and to slide along saidhorizontal surfaces dependingly supporting the remaining portions ofsaid chain within said opening.

2. In combination with a submerged oor chain track having an opening foraccommodating a conveyor chain, a conveyor chain extending into saidopening having all of its upper longitudinally stressed tension linksper se formed Wider than said opening and to substantially continuouslycover said opening.

3. In combination with a submerged floor chain track having an openingfor accommodating a conveyor chain, a conveyor chain having upper andlower tension links, said upper tension links being all constructedWider than said opening and adapted to slidingly engage said track,dependingly support remaining portions of said chain within saidopening, and continuously cover said opening, the upper surfaces of allupper connecting tension links being formed to lie in a single plane.

4. In combination with a submerged door chain track having an openingfor accommodating a conveyor chain, a conveyor chain of the type havingalternate inner and outer tension links pivotally joined by connectingpins, said chain having upper tension links all constructed wider thansaid opening and adapted to slidingly engage said track, dependinglysupport remaining portions of said chain within said opening, andsubstantially continuously cover said opening, the upper surfaces of allconnecting upper tension links being formed to lie in a single planewith adjacent end surfaces arcuately formed to provide for articulationabout the connecting pins.

5. A floor conveyor chain having alternate inner and outer tension linkspivotally joined with connecting pins, one face of said chain beingadapted for exposure by a construction wherein a portion of the innerlink extends out- Wardly into the plane of the outer surface of adjacentouter links, said face being also adapted for engagement with spacedtrack members through the provision of links wide enough to span saidopening and dependingly support the remaining portions of the chainWithin said opening.

6. In combination with a submerged door chain track having verticalwalls defining an opening for accommodating a conveyor chain andhorizontal surfaces on either side of said opening, a conveyor chainhaving exposed tension links all constructed with sufficient width tospan and completely cover said opening and to slide on said horizontalsurfaces dependingly supporting the remainder of said chain within saidopening, and headed pivot pins for connecting said tension links inoverlapping relationship, said tension links being constructed withoffset portions and with recesses for said pivot pins in a mannerwhereby exposed surfaces of said links and pins will lie substantiallyin a single plane, and contiguous exposed portions of adjacent linksbeing provided with mating convex and concave arcuate ends havingcenters substantially coincident with the axes of said pivot pins.

'7. A conveyor chain adapted for use in a fixed track system havingappropriately spaced track members, said chain being of the type whereinlaterally spaced tension links are overlappingly connected by pivot pinswhich serve to journal rollers intermediate said spaced linkscharacterized by tension links on one side of said rollers having asmaller Width than the diameter of said rollers, tension links on theother side of said rollers all having a width greater than the diameterof said rollers, said latter tension links being adapted to slide uponand substantially continuously cover the opening between said 5 'spacedtrack members while said rollers and narrower links ride within suchopening.

8. A conveyor chain adapted for use in a xeol track system havingappropriately spaced track members, said chain being of the type whereinlaterally spaced tension links are overlappingly connected by pivot pinswhich serve to journal rollers intermediate said spaced linkscharacterized by tension links on one side of said rollers having asmaller width than the diameter of said rollers, tension links on theother side of said rollers having a width greater than the diameter ofsaid rollers, said latter tension links being adapted to slide upon andcontinuously cover the opening between said spaced track members Whilesaid rollers and narrower links ride within such opening, continuoustrack contact by all of said wider links and a single substantiallycontinuous solid exposed chain surface being provided by an oiset linkconstruction wherein eX- posed surfaces of the inner links extend to thelevel of the outer links and over the edges of the spaced track members.

